Chapter 714: Chapter 261 Sister Cheng, save me, I’ve also received a subpoena!_3

"If you ask me, if civil suits treated false testimony like this, no one would dare pull such stunts!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qingyuan and the others showed expressions of regret. To think that they provoked the law to this extent and were only sentenced to a mere half a month.

"In addition to the half a month’s sentence, the opposing lawyer will also have their license revoked and will be banned for life from practicing law," Qin Mu added with a smile, seeing the crowd’s slightly discontented faces.

Earlier in the courtroom, Liu Chengqiang and Wu Yun had been scared into complete silence. It wasn’t because they were facing jail time; as lawyers, they were well aware of the consequences of perjury in a civil lawsuit. The maximum punishment was merely fifteen days of detention. But if it were confirmed, their law licenses would be directly revoked! That was what they truly feared. Without a license, they couldn’t participate in any legal proceedings, which was akin to losing their livelihood!

"Moreover, in seven days, there’s another big case." Qin Mu then informed Old Zhang and the others about the scheduling for the new round of cases, news he himself had only recently received. The court had already scheduled the major lawsuit he had filed involving 13,000 people. A consolidated hearing would be held in seven days. With the litigation fees he had advanced, he believed summonses were now being dispatched all across the country.

"HISS! In seven days? With so many people? Will we even be able to get a seat in the gallery then?"

"I doubt we’ll manage to snag one. We couldn’t even get a spot last time with 3,000 people."

"There will definitely be a lot of family members attending; 13,000 people! It’s going to be absolutely packed."

"Just hearing about this case makes me feel so much better."

"..."

The people gathered together, smiling from ear to ear. Their previous frustration vanished, replaced by eager anticipation for the next case. Ever since the last case with 3,000 defendants, Qin Mu had been "quiet" for a while, seldom making such significant moves.

They had all seen this instance of cyberbullying—the online uproar, all sorts of nasty comments. Their families had also heard a lot of gossip. Some of their children, not understanding the situation, had even demanded they leave the hospital! Old Zhang, in particular, had been criticized the most severely. Online, people said that "bad people had simply gotten old." This situation, however, made them (Old Zhang’s group) an object of considerable envy from others, who thought, Such a stroke of ’good fortune,’ too bad it didn’t happen to me!

「That same afternoon.」

Legal Pioneer Law Firm.

"Miss Cheng, I know you’re anxious, but please calm down and tell me slowly," Zhang Wei said, handing her a cup of tea.

Across from him, Cheng Chuxiao was biting her lower lip, looking rather anxious. When narrating the case, she was somewhat incoherent and struggled for a while to explain the situation clearly.

"How about this: I’ll ask you questions, and you answer them," Zhang Wei said with a gentle smile, deciding to try a different approach.

Cheng Chuxiao looked at Zhang Wei and nodded.

"You just said... your previous lawyer has been arrested?" Zhang Wei asked, organizing his thoughts. As he spoke, his expression turned somewhat odd. Another colleague arrested! It has to be said, being a lawyer truly is a high-risk profession, especially for those who are restless and stir up trouble.

"Yes. Just this morning, I saw them being arrested on a live broadcast," Cheng Chuxiao said, swallowing and nodding.

"You said you... missed the court hearing because you were observing the seven-day mourning ritual for your dog?" Zhang Wei paused for a moment, then asked further.

Just moments ago, from Cheng Chuxiao’s account, he had pieced together this rather outlandish story. Even though it was a civil lawsuit, it directly concerned her vital interests. Yet, in her eyes, that seemed less important than observing the mourning ritual for her dog.

"Yes, my Binbin... it’s actually very timid. If it came back and didn’t see me, it would be terribly anxious." At the mention of this, Cheng Chuxiao became very talkative, "Lawyer Zhang, if you had seen my Binbin, you would definitely love it too. It really wouldn’t hurt anyone intentionally; it’s so kind and cute..."

Zhang Wei, looking at Cheng Chuxiao, quickly cut her off, "There’s no need for further details on that. I’ll ask the next question. You mentioned receiving another summons; do you have it with you?"

Cheng Chuxiao paused, taken aback. She quickly opened her bag, took out the newly received summons and a copy of the statement of claim, and handed them to Zhang Wei. "I received this this morning," she said. "My two other friends... they also received summonses."

Zhang Wei nodded and began to examine the documents closely. The summons clearly stated all the particulars, including the cause of action. The copy of the statement of claim, on the other hand, listed evidence proving that Cheng Chuxiao and others had maliciously disseminated stories containing slander and defamation, thereby infringing upon another person’s right to reputation. It demanded she be convicted on numerous charges.

"Lawyer Zhang, what do you think... How should we handle this case? Is it possible to argue for innocence?" Cheng Chuxiao asked cautiously, glancing furtively at Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei put down the summons and said seriously, "Miss Cheng, in this case, the plaintiff has accused you of inciting disturbances, defamation, extortion, and illegal business operations, among other offenses. There are many charges, and as it stands, you could potentially be implicated in all of them."

The plaintiff’s attorney listed on the summons... was a name very familiar to him: Qin Mu. And this whole affair perfectly matched Qin Mu’s modus operandi. If he decided to sue, he’d include every single potential charge against the defendant. Deliberately disseminating someone’s private information online was, in itself, enough to constitute ’inciting disturbances.’